Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. Psychology To manifest or experience perseveration.
Wiktionary
- v. describing the behavior, generally displayed by those with various developmental disabilities, of extraordinary, exclusive and lasting obsession to a detail or occurrence others consider minor.
- v. to repeat or continue a pattern.
WordNet 3.0
- v. psychology: repeat a response after the cessation of the original stimulus
Etymologies
- Back-formation from perseveration.
Examples
“This propensity to perseverate is sometimes self-destructive, as when I am unable to stop practicing a single piece on the piano or to quit solitaire, but”
“Journalists" seeking to perseverate the entire "controversy" by asking him if he thinks it will continue to be a distraction?”
Sanford says it's time to move on, pressed on no wedding ring
“On the medicine, he says he was able to fully shift his attention from one situation to the next rather than perseverate on a previous conversation, and could plan what he was going to do next rather than get distracted by a phone call and forget what he was doing.”
“Uneasiness may perseverate, developing into intractable feelings that seem insurmountable.”
The Huffington Post: Jessica Zucker, Ph.D.: PBS's 'This Emotional Life': Postpartum Depression
“We perseverate instead, and cannot resolve the conflict or make decisions.”
“Hopefully, having written this will discharge my need to perseverate over book covers—at least until the next installment of Jacket Whys sets me off again….”
“If an acquaintance ruffles you, you walk away and mutter "jerk" under your breath, then forget about it; if an intimate hurts you, you perseverate on the offense forever.”
“And I'm not going to perseverate —or proliferate any programmatic perorations — about the proper spelling of "doughnut.”
“One might suggest that the babies in the non-social condition were less likely to perseverate because they were less interested in the game and just didn't learn the connection between the ball and Bucket 1 as well.”
“Will be able to keep us in war endlessly because he is the kind of person who will perseverate”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘perseverate’.
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cicatrix
scar tissue
minatory, naira, Cluniac, embracive, prolix, hierophant, timorous, adduce, veracious, dysphoric, sang-froid, vitiate and 414 more...
oroboros I first and only time I ever heard this word used was by my girlfriend speech pathologist; "You're perseverating!" It was a good lesson: I never forgot it, nor do I perseverate (uh huh). Feb 20, 2010
bilby "We repeat ourselves. The mind perseverates. The road is rutted and grooved, and beside the road are familiar ditches."
- Eric Maisel, 'Deep Writing: 7 Principles That Bring Ideas to Life'. Nov 17, 2009